Art Lending Library + American Craft Council = Great evening!

Shakespeare – speaking through Polonius – advised readers through the centuries that we should “neither a borrower nor a lender be.” Though that advice may fit financial institutions and garden tools, it has no relevance for borrowers and lenders at the Minneapolis Art Lending Library (artlending.org). Shared art actually expands the community of art lovers who have the chance to live or work with original art – if only for a time.

The Minneapolis Art Lending Library has announced that their July lending event will be Friday, July 29, 5:00-8:00 p.m. The big news is that, thanks to a new partnership, the event will be held at the American Craft Council, 1224 Marshall Street NE, #200, in beautiful – and artsy — Northeast Minneapolis. (If you have not visited the ACC in their unique home at the former Grainbelt Brewery, the lending event is a double treat! (http://www.minneapolismn.gov/hpc/landmarks/hpc_landmarks_marshall_st_ne_1215_grain_belt_brewery)

Art lovers will have the opportunity to meet and talk with summer artist fellow Carolina Borja whose work will be on display. Carolina is known to many Minnesotans through her exhibits and coverage in a host of area journals. (http://www.carolinaborjastudio.com/press/) Her original installation, “Better a bird in the hand than two in the bush” is a papier mache piñata that incorporates sound and audience participation.

The Minneapolis Art Lending Library is a nonprofit organization “dedicated to providing exposure for artists, building support for the arts, and sharing the joy of art with members of our community through the free lending of artwork.” The goal is “to create an attitude change in the Twin Cities in terms of art ownership.” The MALL (that’s the art MALL) includes nearly 100 contemporary paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, ceramics, and sculptures by local and national artists. There is no charge to borrow the art for a period of time. Lending events such as the July 29 gathering at the ACC provide an opportunity for members of the public to browse a selection and to support this unique project.

If you’re planning to participate in the lending event, look forward to a full evening. The American Craft Council library is a jewel – everything you ever wanted to know about crafts, not to mention crafts you never heard of, and a staff that knows the collection and is willing – truly eager – to share their knowledge of the field and the robust resources of the American Craft Council. https://marytreacy.wordpress.com/tag/american-craft-council-library/